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Topic Review (Newest First)

06-04-2011 01:25 PM

Antibes

The wire wheel brush on a drill works real well. Painted whole deck and topside two years ago. Just make sure it is bronze, not steel or you will get rust down the road from tiny fragments left on the surface.

06-04-2011 01:25 PM

mitiempo

The only problem with the wire wheel is you will leave small bits of steel everywhere which rust quickly and are hard to remove as well as unsightly. Steel wire wheels should not be used on the boat's exrerior for this reason. Brass wheels work but are harder to find.

You could try a scotchbrite pad on either a sander or grinder/ They are available in different grades and leave no residue that will rust.

06-04-2011 11:32 AM

CorvetteGuy

I recently used a wire wheel brush on a drill to prep for a coat of kiwigrip. A simple application and covered up many chips in the gel. Being a well used 1972 C&C Corvette the decks were in rough shape, the kiwi grip covered up awsome

05-06-2011 07:52 PM

junaido

I think I have seen a book (Don Casey probably) which recommends abrading the non-skid with bronze wool prior to painting it.

05-04-2011 02:50 PM

T34C

I would actually recommend using a much courser sand paper as you want some thing with enough grit to get down into the non-skid pattern. Light pressure, sanding by hand with a 60-80 sand paper worked much better when I did the same thing to my boat several years ago.

05-04-2011 12:40 PM

arf145

Hopefully, you'll hear from some Kiwigrip users. I've not heard of oxidation being a problem for it. And let's face it, non-skid is pretty much always oxidized on an older boat.

05-04-2011 12:34 PM

Tweegs

Thanks for that. There doesn't seem to be any paint, just gelcoat.

One other suggestion I received was to use rubbing compound with a stiff scrub brush. May try that first, followed by the soap and water plus sand paper and hope for the best.

05-03-2011 09:14 PM

paulk

My can of Interdeck non-skid paint says to wash down fiberglass decks with soap & water using a stiff brush. Rinse & let dry, then sand with 180-220 sandpaper, After that, paint.

If the deck was previously painted they call for finer sandpaper, followed by a wipedown with their brushing liquid, to pick up paint residues. Keeping THAT off the topsides might be an issue, as you suggest. If your deck isn't painted, this shouldn't be a problem.

05-03-2011 11:13 AM

Tweegs

No skid.

So weíre in the water now and concentrating on getting the deck back in shape. The deck has been neglected for at least the past 10 years, lots of oxidation. Weíve resorted to wet sanding out the gelcoat because rubbing compound wasnít cutting it. I mention this to give some idea of how much oxidation is on that no skid.

Our efforts on the rest of the deck are paying off, taking the gelcoat from a pasty, chalky, bleached white, to the original creamy, off white color, and itís really starting to look good, which brings me to that no skid.

The boat is 30 years old, the diamond pattern on that no skid is worn, and we figured it could do with a fresh coat of no skid paint.

Surface prep for that paint is my main concern. How in the world am I going to get that oxidation removed enough to give the new paint a good bite?

Iím hesitant to use a chemical or acid thatís going to wash over the side and eat the wax off the hull, but if thatís the only optionÖ.

Was hoping someone had a better idea, something more than my feeble mind can conjure.